Everton have given the Goodison Park fanbase a nervy ride this year but with Carlo Ancelotti now in charge, it looks like an exciting future ahead for the Toffees.
It’s been an interesting 2019 for Everton to say the least, with a few highs interspersed with far too many lows but culminating in a grandstand finish in the Goodison Park dugout which bodes well for next year.
This time last year, the Toffees contingent saw their Christmas cheer dampened with a humiliating 6-2 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur and, although they then put Burnley to the sword on Boxing Day, the year ended with a meek defeat at Brighton.
There had always been murmurs amongst the Everton fanbase about Marco Silva’s suitability for the Toffees job but an impressive finish to the Premier League season – wins over Chelsea and Arsenal, plus a 4-0 thrashing of Manchester United – suggested that things were on the up.
Several inspired signings were made in the summer as well, with fan favourite Andre Gomes signing permanently from Barcelona, plus Fabian Delph, Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Alex Iwobi all arriving, and what looked at first glance to be one of the biggest coups of the summer, the signing of Juventus prodigy Moise Kean.
Unfortunately, what followed was an unmitigated disaster – Gomes suffered a horrendous ankle injury which ruled him out long term, Gbamin made just two appearances before also being sidelined long term, Delph is in and out of the squad due to injuries, and Kean has struggled to make an impact so far, seldom being picked.
As for Silva, a number of bad performances and results saw Everton slip into the relegation zone, with a number of repeat issues – poorly defending set pieces, regular late collapses, numerous players showing poor form and even an apparent lack of effort in some cases – proving very concerning.
The Goodison Park board eventually decided to finally wield the axe, and things immediately improved with interim manager Duncan Ferguson instantly revitalising the side.
But arguably the best was saved for last – Carlo Ancelotti, one of the most highly rated managers in world football, was appointed as Everton’s new head coach, a wonderful statement of intent by the Toffees and one which promises plenty of excitement ahead.
After all, Ancelotti clinched the Premier League and FA Cup double with Chelsea ten years ago, and is one of only three managers to win three European Cups / Champions Leagues – along with Liverpool legend Bob Paisley and Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane – as well as domestic titles with Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
The Italian definitely has a lot of work to do with a team which has a lot of players who hadn’t been pulling their weight when Silva was at the helm but if there’s a manager who has been proven to work magic on teams, it’s Ancelotti – and with two wins from two and some much-improved displays, things are definitely looking up.
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